“You should chase your dreams – believe in them”

Like this summer’s Olympians, we’re all chasing rainbows – searching for that bit of happiness, magic and colour that makes life seem worthwhile, writes Daniel Boxill, 22, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Bridgetown, Barbados.

The Summer Olympics and Paralympics! How can we forget that glorious spectacle, the culmination of years of training, sweat, tears and sacrifice for thousands of athletes, families, trainers, coaches and many others.

All of the athletes were gold medal hopefuls intending to compete their hardest and do their best for personal and national glory. That was their rainbow.

Some say chasing rainbows is a hopeless pursuit that can never be fulfilled. But I like to believe that for some even chasing rainbows is enough. What your personal rainbow is and why you are chasing it is important to you. Sadly, I find some people are not willing to respect that.

Too often, others are overly negative and harshly critical because they can’t see your goal; they can’t believe in your journey towards a personal rainbow’s end. There might even be those who support us in the beginning but tire of our journey and falter or drop out along the way. Many of us might even have been forced to go on our own from the start.

At the end of the day, I think we’re all just chasing rainbows; searching for that bit of happiness, magic and colour that makes life seem worthwhile. I think we’re all just waiting out the storm hoping that after the showers and hardships, we will be greeted with that bit of brilliance.

Some of us may hide from the storms, afraid of the thunder and lightning. Personally, I love storms. I love the rumble of the sky drums in concert and the flashes of “God’s X-ray” passing through us all. I love the feel of rain and wind sweeping me. But storms can’t last forever no matter the damage they cause or how big they are. Survival of a storm means lessons should have been learnt, knowledge and wisdom should have been gained and what has been proven to be weak should be strengthened and improved.

I ask you, what is your current storm? What is making life difficult for you? Can you change it? If you can’t change your circumstances, can you change yourself in such a way that you can live more easily in your circumstances?

What is your current rainbow? What are your dreams and why are you pursuing them? What is your hope for the future? Do you believe in your rainbow enough to get through the storms? Can you believe in it?

Chase your dreams. Believe in them. Find your happiness.

At the end of the day, we’re all just chasing rainbows.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?